Dean Bennett, The Canadian Press
Published Friday, February 9, 2018 1:55PM EST
Last Updated Friday, February 9, 2018 2:50PM EST

EDMONTON -- An Alberta United Conservative legislature member who resigned abruptly is facing charges of sex assault and sexual interference with a minor.

Don MacIntyre was charged last week, but the case had been put under a sweeping publication ban that was lifted Friday by a Red Deer judge.

MacIntyre, who is 62, was a first-term legislature member for the constituency of Innisfail-Sylvan Lake, in central Alberta. He was elected for the Wildrose party in 2015 and later joined the merged United Conservative Party.

He left caucus Feb. 2 and formally resigned his seat Monday, just days after the charges were laid.

He could not be reached for comment Friday. He has not made a public statement on the matter except for a tweet on Feb. 2.

U.S. President Donald Trump's steel and aluminum tariffs contradict a key component of the new North American trade agreement -- the pivotal section on autos -- which will ultimately lead to their demise, Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland says.